HIV Infected Blood in Pepsi – Facts Analysis

Story:

Important message….for d next few days, do not drink any product from Pepsi company like pepsi, tropicana juice, slice, 7up , coca cola, etc,,as a worker from the company has added his blood contaminated with HIV. watch NDtv …please 4ward this 2 every 1 u care about…..please spread!

Fact Check:

These circulating messages trough emails and social networking sites warn people not to drink Pepsi drinks because a Pepsi worker has contaminated the bottles with his HIV infected blood deliberately. This message however is a hoax, it is yet another version of old hoax messages relating to HIV transmission through contaminated food and drinks. Also note that the message mentions coca cola in their claim, which is clearly not a product from Pepsi.

False News

CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clearly stated that no such news were ever reported claiming HIV transmission through contaminated food. The CDC also states that a person would not become infected with HIV even if he consumed food containing HIV infected blood. It further explains:

“HIV does not live long outside the body. Even if small amounts of HIV-infected blood or semen was consumed, exposure to the air, heat from cooking, and stomach acid would destroy the virus. Therefore, there is no risk of contracting HIV from eating food.”